Chapter Thirty-Three
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VICTORIA TOOK IT EASY the next day. One task she accomplished was getting the water running. All she’d had to do was turn a valve on the water tank to get the water to flow. She wasn’t about to drink it without boiling it first, but now she wouldn’t have to retrieve water from the lake as often.
She ate extra food to recover faster from her long journey. The venison tasted better than she’d expected. “I’m going to have to find greens to harvest,” she figured. Canned food wouldn’t last forever. All packaged food had an expiry date. Fresh fruit and vegetables were going to be a necessity.
Vic was grateful for the hotplate and propane gas her neighbors had given her. Both items would make life easier, especially when cooking food and making coffee. She’d stolen coffee from the convenience store with the intention of boiling water over the fire in a pot.
“Now, I don’t have to,” she said, then took a sip of her latest brew. It was late afternoon and she was standing at the edge of the lake, staring at the view. The sun would set soon and the temperature was already dropping.
Camriel had kept his distance, which was a relief.
She needed some time and space to think about everything they’d told her.
It would have sounded nuts if the world hadn’t already been changed forever after the Rapture.
Victoria had slept through it and had woken up to see the news when she’d switched on her TV the next morning.
“I wish I’d never gone to work to see if anyone was there,” she muttered.
Mickey the fudging monster was one of the very few kids who’d been left behind.
She stupidly thought he might be able to change, since he’d been left all alone.
But nope, the little shiz had immediately tried to kill her.
She was pretty sure he’d sliced the throat of the guy who’d been lying on the sidewalk right outside the building.
Her new neighbors now knew about the worst thing she’d ever done and they’d still accepted her.
Then again, they’d all done horrible things to stay alive by now as well.
Even Grace had killed people, as weird as that seemed.
Only eighteen, she looked far younger and more innocent than she really was.
Hearing the sounds of movement in the woods, Victoria turned to watch as a majestic animal stepped out into the open.
“Holy fudging cow,” she whispered, shocked to see a gigantic moose surveying the lake.
“I didn’t know moose lived in the Adirondack Mountains.
” She’d thought they all lived in Canada.
The beast ascertained there was no danger and delicately stepped over to the water. She watched in awe as it drank its fill, then retreated back into the pine trees.
“This is as close to paradise as I’ll ever get,” she figured, glad the moose hadn’t tried to attack her. A beast that big could feed her and her neighbors for weeks, but it seemed sacrilegious to hunt it. Deer were a more sensible option and were more plentiful as well.
Drinking the dregs of her coffee, she headed back to the cabin. Her clothes had dried and she’d folded them up and put them in the small dresser. “I need more furniture,” she complained. Camriel had a sweet setup in his bedroom. There were enough closets and dressers for two people.
She scowled when she remembered he expected her to fall for him just because he was gorgeous.
“He’s going to have to work for my fudging affections,” she vowed.
Bonding to a knight was a lifelong commitment.
Amaros had told her it couldn’t be reversed, except possibly by death.
“No way am I shackling myself to a dude who doesn’t prove himself first,” she declared.
Sure, Cam had potentially saved her life during the ambush by the crazy townsfolk. But being brave didn’t mean he would be loyal. She’d been cheated on before and never wanted to go through that again. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t loved her ex, it was the principle that counted.
“I deserve better than being bonded just because I’m available and we seem to be a good match,” she said, pacing around the tiny room. “What if he meets another cambion and he’s more attracted to her than he is to me?”
Fate had apparently paired them all up already, but Victoria wasn’t convinced. She was going to take things slow until she was sure Cam had true feelings for her.
A storm moved in after darkness fell, battering the cabin with rain and hail. The trees sheltered it from the worst of the weather. She was surprised at how well the old building had withstood time.
“Maybe Fate made sure the cabin would remain intact just for me,” she said sarcastically. Lightning flashed in response and she winced at the brightness that speared through the window. “Okay, message received,” Vic mumbled. “Fate is real and I’m very grateful for her assistance.”
Thunder rumbled, but her eyeballs were spared from another flash of lightning. Feeling unnerved, she went to bed early, since she was still feeling worn out from her trek.
Victoria woke up feeling energized and restless. It still felt weird not to be going to her day job or to her wrestling gig. Her life had been busy and she’d had little time to sit around during the day. Now, she had all the time in the world and nothing to do.
Eating breakfast, she savored her cup of coffee, then couldn’t stand the inactivity anymore. It was too cold to wear Lycra, so she changed into a sweatsuit and went for a jog. The lake was large enough that it would take her an hour to circumnavigate it if she kept her pace slow and steady.
Victoria set off, startling foraging rabbits into fleeing. Birds also took to the air when she disturbed them. Frost had killed the grass. It crunched beneath her sneakers, loudly announcing her presence.
She sensed Camriel and her gut tensed when he began moving closer to her.
Reaching the far end of the lake, she lifted her hand in greeting when she saw him standing at the edge of the woods.
He waved back, then just stood there, watching her.
The longing on his face was enough to get her heart beating faster.
She could feel his eyes on her as she circled the lake until she was lost from his sight.
“That man wants me real fudging bad,” she murmured in a combination of satisfaction and nervousness. She’d never had her heart broken before and didn’t want to experience it now.
Back in her cabin, she drank more coffee, wishing she’d borrowed some books from the girls.
She was bored out of her brain with nothing to do.
The quaint town with the bookstore was calling her name, but it would have to wait.
She only had a few hours left before she would need to visit Zoe and Grace.
To kill time, Victoria scrubbed her tiny kitchen as best she could. She hadn’t thought to bring any cleaning products with her. The washing detergent she’d used on her clothes worked well enough. She found an ancient scourer under the sink and used it on the counters.
Next, she cleaned the bathroom, mentally making a list of items to steal from the town.
Opening the curtain in the shower, she saw a large container attached to the wall.
“What the fudge?” she said in confusion, then realized what it was for.
“It’s to put water in to take a shower,” she said, grinning in anticipation.
“I could take an actual hot shower if I can heat up a lot of water!” It was a pity it wasn’t connected to the water tank, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
It would have to be a quick one, since the tank wasn’t large enough for her to have a long soak.
The prospect of finally being able to shower again gave her something to look forward to.
First, she needed to clean the showerhead, since it was rusty.
She figured out how to disassemble it, then put it in the sink to soak in detergent.
“I need a large pot,” she said, scrounging inside the cupboards. The previous owner had left a couple of pots behind. They were dented and slightly rusty, but they would get the job done.
“The girls are going to be so jealous,” Victoria gloated as she scrubbed the pots free of rust. The showerhead cleaned up well and worked when she poured water through it.
Now all she had to do was heat water in the pots and pour it into the tank, then she’d be able to wash her hair without freezing her fudging boobs off.
If her date with Camriel went well, then a hot shower afterwards would top off what she hoped would be a great day.